Compliance Narratives

Judgment of Compliance

Narrative

Sam Houston State University (SHSU) awards associate, baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees in over 120 academic disciplines as defined and approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) [1]. All associate programs at SHSU require at least 60 semester credit hours, all baccalaureate programs require at least 120 semester credit hours, and all graduate programs require at least 30 semester credit hours. All programs are expressed in semester credit hours. The curriculum review and approval process requires a justification for the length of the program and ensures that no associate, baccalaureate, or graduate program is approved with fewer than 60, 120, or 30 hours, respectively.

Undergraduate Programs

SHSU offers 95 baccalaureate degree programs, each requiring a minimum of 120 semester credit hours [1]. As stipulated in the Undergraduate Degree Requirements section of the 2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog, each baccalaureate degree is required to have a minimum of 120 total hours [2], and each consists of a core curriculum (e.g., general education) [3] and additional coursework specific to the academic discipline(s). The 2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog includes the coursework and total semester credit hours required for each program [4].

SHSU has also been authorized by the THECB to offer three embedded associate degree programs, each requiring a minimum of 60 semester credit hours [1], as of the spring 2025 semester. As the THECB authorizes embedded associate degree programs as credentials for students who stop-out of baccalaureate degree programs (after-the-fact awards only) and does not authorize universities to advertise, recruit, or enroll students into embedded associate degree programs, SHSU does not produce outward facing degree plans for these programs, and programs are not included in academic catalogs [5]. Required SCHs have been approved by the THECB and are documented in the approval documentation [6] [7] [8].

Graduate Programs

SHSU offers 74 graduate degrees: 63 master’s degrees, 9 doctoral degrees, and 1 professional degree. All graduate degree programs at SHSU require at least 30 semester credit hours. The University’s general graduate degree requirements and academic guidelines are available in the 2024-2025 Graduate and Professional Catalog [9]. Each curriculum defines the number of semester credit hours needed to complete the degree program, and the 2024-2025 Graduate and Professional Catalog includes curricula for each program [4].

New Program Review

SHSU ensures appropriate program viability, quality, and requirements through its curriculum review process. The process includes two distinct phases: (1) Needs & Financial Analysis and (2) Content & Quality [10]. SHSU uses adaptations of the THECB’s degree program request forms. A proposal, regardless of curricular modality, requires a thorough description of the program and its curriculum, inclusive of total required semester credit hours. The new degree program proposals are reviewed by the Department Chair, Department Curriculum Committee, College Curriculum Committee, University Curriculum Committee, Academic Affairs Council, and Provost [11].

The content of new degree program proposals requires documentation of the coursework and semester credit hour requirements for a new degree [9] [13]. Following the internal review and approval actions, all degree proposals are forwarded to the Texas State University System Board of Regents and, upon approval, the THECB for review and approval. At each level of the internal and external review process, the total semester credit hour requirements are monitored to ensure compliance with SHSU [14] and SACSCOC expectations.

Combined Programs

SHSU offers a limited number of combined or accelerated degree programs where students can earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree, with select master’s degree coursework satisfying requirements in the bachelor’s degree. The University requires these combined or accelerated programs to maintain academic rigor, limiting the double dipping of credits only from the master’s degree down into the undergraduate degree (e.g., undergraduate credits may not satisfy graduate requirements). In addition, programs are required to maintain SACSCOC minimum semester credit hour requirements for the combined degree (e.g., a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree program requires 150 unique semester credit hours, with at least 30 being at the graduate level) [14]. The following are the combined or accelerated degree programs available at SHSU, with total SCH requirements noted and links to degree plan requirements.

• Computing Science, BS: 4+1 MS Computing and Data Science (150 SCHs) [15]
• Computing Science (Information Assurance), BS: 4+1 MS Computing and Data Science (150 SCHs) [16]
• Computing Science (Information Systems), BS: 4+1 MS Computing and Data Science (150 SCHs) [17]
• Education, 4-8 Core, BS: 4+1 MED Teaching & Learning (150 SCHs) [18]
• Education, 4-8 ELAR, BS: 4+1 MED Teaching & Learning (150 SCHs) [19]
• Education, 4-8 Mathematics, BS: 4+1 MED Teaching & Learning (150 SCHs) [20]
• Education, 4-8 Science, BS: 4+1 MED Teaching & Learning (152 SCHs) [21]
• Education, 4-8 Social Studies, BS: 4+1 MED Teaching & Learning (150 SCHs) [22]
• Education, EC-6 Core, BS: 4+1 MED Teaching & Learning (150 SCHs) [23]
• Education, EC-6 Bilingual Core, BS: 4+1 MED Teaching & Learning (155 SCHs) [24]
• Education, EC-6 SPED, BS: 4+1 MED Teaching & Learning (155 SCHs) [25]
• Education, PK-3 Core, BS: 4+1 MED Teaching & Learning (151 SCHs) [26]
• Mathematics, BS: 4+1 MS Mathematics (156 SCHs) [27]
• Health Science, BS: 3+2 MSAT Athletic Training (154-155 SCHs) [28]
• Kinesiology (Clinical Exercise Science), BS: 3+2 MSAT Athletic Training (153-154 SCHs) [29]
• Osteopathic Medicine, DO & Public Health, MPH (226 SCHs) [30]
• English, MA & Creative Writing, Editing, and Publishing, MFA (60 SCHs) [31]

Supporting Documentation